


cat fight

by sumusushi



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Florist Murasakibara, KNB Secret Santa 2020, M/M, Tattoo Artist Midorima, implied akafuri???????, no beta we die like shiori, reo's in here if you look hard enough (i think), slice of life-ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:42:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28286421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sumusushi/pseuds/sumusushi
Summary: Under the suggestion of Kagami, Murasakibara gets a tattoo from Midorima, who isn’t exactly pleased with how their first encounter went. Midorima later discovers his annoying client is the main owner of the flower shop a few stores down when he buys a flower as a lucky item. Romance blossoms.
Relationships: Midorima Shintarou/Murasakibara Atsushi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. zero days before

The bell on the door rings as a new customer walks in. Midorima, with a considerable amount on time on his hands, turns his head towards the noise to grab a glimpse at who came in. He sees a tall, purple-haired man (which seems to be dyed months ago, judging from the roots) hunched over at the counter, seemingly in an escalated debate with the front desk staff. Riko, being _the kindest_ worker in the establishment, passes the potential client on to him. As the man walks towards his station, Midorima sees Riko mouth a “Love you!” to him in apology.

  
“The lady back there says you don’t do walk-ins. That true?” The man asks.

Masking his surprise at the brashness of the question, Midorima responds, “It is. We require artist consultations before tattooing designs here.”

“Aah, Kaga-chin’s going to kill me.” the man mumbles.

“If you’d like, we can schedule an appointment another time. It typically takes around an hour.” Midorima offers.

“Might as well.” The man sighs before continuing, “Murasakibara, by the way.”

“I’m Midorima. Nice to meet you, Murasakibara.”

  
He reaches a hand, out of courtesy, which Murasakibara begrudgingly accepts.

“So, how can I help?”

Murasakibara slides over a clear file halfway across the table. “Kaga-chin made this for me.”

Midorima takes the folder in his hands. He opens it to find it filled with drafts and takes out the sheet with a sticky note labelled _this one_ attached to it. On the paper is a drawing of a lady wearing a helmet looking over her shoulder. The lady also has her hair braided with leaves and on the expanse of her back lays what-seems-like wings. He notes the tiny signature and date on the bottom-right corner of the designing, verifying that it was indeed made by a friend.

“Where you’d like it to be?”

“Dunno. Kaga-chin says it looks good on a limb.”

“How about the style? Would you like it as a line-art, like the design suggests?”

“I guess? I trust Kaga-chin’s decision.”

“Do you at least know how big you’d like it?”

“Not really. As long as it looks good.”

The two talk about the design some more, with Midorima asking questions about the various drafts he was provided with and Murasakibara giving him short, clipped responses

_Does this man actually care about what goes on with his body? Who in the world lets others randomly design an inked design on a body that isn’t even theirs?_

“Are we done yet? I want to leave.” Atsushi whines.

_And now he wants to leave. The audacity he has! Why even get a tattoo in the first place if you have no say about anything?_

“Excuse me, sir. I don’t mean to be rude, but do you actually want a tattoo on you?! If you don’t have anything to say, anything at all, on your own accord, I’d highly suggest not getting one in the first place.” Midorima asks, exasperated.

“Ha? Why do you care? Just get it done. That’s your job, isn’t it?”

“Why do I— I’m a tattoo artist, of course I’d care! I refuse to ink a design on somebody that they aren’t interested in. You clearly aren’t invested in the art of tattoos. Pick another artist, I don’t care.”

“Aah, fine. If I give it some thought, will you stop _nagging?”_

Midorima gives him a pointed stare as he replies. “Talk with Riko about rescheduling.”

Murasakibara glares at the artist in return, puffing as he walks away. Midorima sees the receptionist gives the man a quick form to fill out as he chooses a date and another form to give back when he comes back. Murasakibara leaves not long after.

_Finally._   
  
  


“Bad day?” a voice asks, joy obvious in its tone.

Midorima turns his chair to face Aomine, a fellow tattoo artist and friend. (As much as Midorima won’t admit it, he’s known it long enough to be considered as such.) The two were middle school acquaintances who happened to share a common class in college. Aomine had arrived later than Midorima and had sat beside him, perhaps out of familiarity.

By their second year of university, Midorima had realized his love for illustration. Aomine was an art major, so it was sort of easy to turn that passion into a hobby. By the time they’d graduated, Aomine had opened a tattoo parlour with fellow art major Imayoshi, who Midorima has meet a few times by that point. Imayoshi invited him to work there, so Midorima took a gap year between university and med school.

“Aomine, shut up.”

Aomine puts its arms up in mock surrender. The action would normally put Midorima’s spirit at ease, but the smirk painted on its face doesn’t help. “Not saying nothing.”

///

The rest of Midorima’s shift is uneventful, so he clocks out early. Despite the free time he now has, Midorima chooses to head back to the apartment. He opens the door to a note taped on the wall signed by his roommate.

_Midorima-cchi!  
  
If I’m not home when you arrive, can you put the tray of cookies in the oven? Feel free to have some when they’re done. Love you!!  
  
_ _☆_ _Kise_ _☆_

_p.s: the oven’s pre-heated so just pop them in_

“Kise?” he calls out. The lack of response means Kise isn’t home yet, so he heads out to the kitchen to do what’s he’s asked. Midorima doesn’t trust his roommate with baking, so he decides to stay in the kitchen and work on some potential designs to pass the time.

Kise arrives halfway through the baking. Midorima’s so engrossed in his sketching that he doesn’t notice the door opening. The only indicator he gets of Kise’s arrival is the high-pitched screaming his roommate does to get his attention.

“What you doing??” the blonde asks.

“It’s nothing that concerns you.” Midorima attempts to close the sketchbook before the other can peek.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t close it fast enough so Kise manages to sneak a glance. “Woah, Midorima-cchi! That’s so pretty! Is that for a customer? Or for you? You should totally get that on you!”

Knowing he can’t stop Kise from rambling, Midorima opens the sketchbook and tilts it a bit so kise can see it better. “You think?”

  
Midorima’s drawn a white and black cat, each chasing a fishbone, around the yin and yang sign. He doesn’t think he’d get it on him just yet, but the fact that Kise seems to think he should is making him consider otherwise.

“Yup!” Kise flips the book to another page. “Oh, what’s this one?”

Midorima looks down to see Kise’s finger pointing at one of the Athena drafts he’s made for Murasakibara earlier. "Just a _client’s_ draft.”

“Rough one?”

“Unfortunately.”

Kise seems to take the hint and doesn’t ask any more questions. He takes out his phone and scrolls through social media instead while waiting for the timer Midorima put out to ring. As soon as it does, Kise takes the baking sheet out of the oven, sets it on the counter to cool, and leaves. Midorima spends the rest of the afternoon on the counter doodling whatever comes to mind.

///

The smell of freshly cut flowers greets Murasakibara upon opening the door. Seeing no customers inside, Murasakibara approaches the register and rests his head on the counter. He closes his eyes to the background noise of the streets when a voice pulls him out of his almost-slumber.

“Thought you were going to be gone the whole day?” Kagami asks.

Murasakibara sits up immediately and wipes the sleep off his eyes. “Kaga-chin,, the artist was so prissy. You said it was going to be easy.” He responds.

“It should be. You went to the parlour two blocks down right?”

“Yes, I went there. I’m not that dumb, Kaga-chin.”

“A prissy artist, huh?” Murasakibara hums in confirmation. Kagami chuckles at his response.

“I don’t know how Kaga-chin can laugh. He won’t even do the design you made because he wants me to design it. It’s not fair. You said I could get it done today.” Murasakibara pouts.

“If we had the same tattoo artist, maybe. It’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.”

“That’s easy for Kaga-chin to say.” Murasakibara retorts.

Kagami pats him on the shoulder. “If it gets bad just ask for Aomine.” Murasakibara can only sigh in response.

“Anyways, that’s the last of today’s orders so I’ll be heading out. See you tomorrow, boss.”

No new customers come in after that, so Murasakibara closes the shop early and heads home.


	2. one day after

Midorima wakes up to the sunlight peeking through his window. He grabs his phone and opens it to see he had woken up ten minutes before his alarm. Knowing he won’t be able to go back to sleep, Midorima gets out of bed and decides to prepare himself a cup of tea.

He fills a kettle with water and places it on the stove to boil. While waiting, he reads the various notes littering the refrigerator door. Kise’s apparently going to be gone for the whole day, so Midorima doesn’t have to wait up for his roommate to have dinner. He sees that it is his turn for the week to stock up on whatever needs to be replenished, so he rummages through the kitchen to see what needs to be bought.

His phone rings, signaling it’s time for the day’s Ohaasa broadcast. Midorima leaves the kitchen temporarily to turn on the television.

_It’s a good day for Sagittarius’ today, ranking first. To boost up their luck, everyone with the star sign must carry a horse keychain! Unfortunately for Aquarius’, they are ranked last. So make sure to wear a black shirt to avoid bad luck. The two signs are very compatible too, both signs set to form a deeper connection._

_Cancers and Geminis are ranked sixth and seventh consecutively, right in the middle! For all cancers listening, a red camellia just might be the difference between a good and a bad day. A novelty item---_

Midorima hears the kettle whistle in the kitchen. He walks over to the array of jars sitting on the kitchen counter and grabs a bag of green tea before taking the water off the stove. He then prepares himself some food for his packed lunch. Once that’s done, he grabs a convenience store sandwich from the fridge for breakfast. He heads back to couch, tea and sandwich in hand, just as Ohaasa ends.

Midorima switches the channel to a random morning show for background noise as he finished his breakfast. He cleans up his mess after and heads back to his bedroom to get ready for work.

///

  
Murasakibara enters the shop, fresh out of bed, to give the flowers a morning spritz of water. He opens the windows to let air in and gives the shop’s logbook a look to see what is in store for the day. Seeing most of his day is just a regular shift of manning the shop, the flower shop owner heads back upstairs to freshen up.

Once he’s ready to face the day, Murasakibara flips the store sign from _closed_ to _open_. To fill the shop with noise, he turns on the radio (courtesy of Kagami) but doesn’t bother changing the station. He takes this time alone to take daily inventory.

_Scorpios are ranked ninth, yikes! Lucky item for Scorpios is anything bigger than a fist, so make sure to keep one with you for maximum luck. Expect an odd encounter with either a Cancer or a Capricorn. Interactions with Capricorns will most likely bring fortune. Interactions with Cancers, however, are unknown. Keep an eye out for Cancers, Scorpios!_

Murasakibara opened the flower shop just a year ago. He had been working at a reputable catering company for a while but didn’t like how demanding it can be. Under the suggestion of a good friend, he had decided to quit and leave the food industry for good. A flower shop seemed like a good idea at the time, since he quite liked being involved in event planning. From equipment to suppliers, the same friend had helped him take the steps necessary to open the business.

Kagami came into the picture because a friend’s co-worker recommended him. Seeing the man’s kind yet somewhat brash personality made him a good employee in his eyes. (He thinks Akashi questions his reasoning.) Murasakibara handles the logistical side of the business while Kagami works the storefront and assistant manpower if needed.

****

Suddenly, the store door is opened and a familiar voice calls out.

“Hello?”

Murasakibara looks behind him to see the uptight tattoo artist from yesterday standing by the door of the shop.

“What are you doing here?!” Midorima exclaims.

He just gives him a deadpan look. “I work here.”

None of them utter a single word after that, the DJ’s voice from the radio the only thing filling the air. Midorima is the first to break the silence.

“So… uhh…” The artist tries to speak.

Deciding to help the man out, Murasakibara acts as if everything was normal. “Hello, sir. How can I help you?”

“Red camellias….” Midorima starts. “Do you have red camellias?”

Murasakibara gestures towards their display of camellias. Midorima nods and walks towards the array of flowers. For a while, he just stands there, giving each flower a thorough look. Murasakibara approaches the man as soon as Midorima gives him a nod of acknowledgement.

“Do you like anyone?” Murasakibara starts, picking up the camellia Midorima has chosen.

A flabbergasted gasp can be heard beside him “Huh? Where did that come from?” Midorima starts. “You don’t just ask anyone those kinds of questions. It’s seven in the morning! Why even-- ”

“It’s the flower.” he interrupts. “Mido-chin gets riled up very easily. Perhaps he really likes someone.”

“Mido-what?!?! Also, what does a camellia have to do with your question?”

Murasakibara decidedly ignores the first question. “Hanakotoba. Red camellias symbolize love., unless you’re a warrior. Otherwise, it’d mean death.”

“O-oh.” Midorima mutters. “In that case, it’s none of your business. Just please ring the flower up so I can leave.”

“But Mido-chin, I’m a florist, so it is my business.” Murasakibara walks towards the register and the other follows suit. “I don’t want to sell a flower to a customer who doesn’t care about flowers.”

Midorima hands over a 1,000 yen bill. “Are you seriously using my own words against me?”

“I don’t know, Mido-chin.” Murasakibara replies. “Are you interested in someone? Maybe a lover, perhaps?” he suggests.

“A lover? That’s absurd!” Midorima noticeably looks away while grabbing his change.

“Oh my, are you blushing?”

Midorima clicks his tongue in annoyance and storms out, flower in hand. In his burst of annoyance, he almost bumps into Kagami on his way out.

The redhead watches the artist walks away from the shop. Kagami then looks at Murasakibara and asks:

“Who is that guy and what did you do to piss him off?”

///

Midorima arrives at the parlor three minutes before his shifts begins. He heads into the backroom to change into his work attire, locating an unused glass to hold his lucky item as well. He sets up his “floral arrangement” on display by his workstation. Midorima decides to clean his needles, mostly to keep his hands busy while waiting for clients.

“Woah, what’s the flower for?” Aomine asks.

“Just a lucky item. Nothing special.”

“Cool. Thought it was from a suitor or something.”

“You’re the second person who has said that to me today. And frankly, it’s annoying.”

“The second?”

“Unfortunately. Do you remember the client from yesterday?”

“The dude with purple hair? Yeah.”

“He seems to be working at the flower shop two blocks away, where I bought the camellia.”

Aomine laughs out loud at that. “And he asked you the same thing? Seems to be a good man.”

“No, he isn’t. He’s tiresome and frankly, I wish I never had to see him again.”

Aomine opens his mouth to tease him a bit more when Riko calls out.

“Midorima! Got a person for you.” She says.

Midorima gives a hum in acknowledge and Aomine wordlessly slides his chair away. He puts his sketchbook aside and greets the approaching client with ease.

///

The drive to the studio is quick and peaceful, Murasakibara thinks. Months ago, a client placed an order of multiple arrangements of dahlias and sunflowers for an editorial shoot they were doing. He arrives at the studio a few minutes later than planned and texts the client to let them know he was there.  
  
A minute later, two staff come out to help him carry the flowers inside. It takes them a while to bring all the boxes inside the studio, but they somehow managed to do it on schedule. After all the arrangements are set in place, he walks out of the studio in search of client’s office. 

Murasakibara’s about to knock on the door when the doors swings open.

“Atsushi, glad to see you. Come in.” Akashi greets.

Murasakibara walks in and sits on one of the leather chairs. “It’s been a while, Aka-chin.”

Akashi grabs a glass and opens the fridge. “Indeed. Care for a drink?” He offers. Murasakibara hums in response. He returns with a can of melon soda for Murasakibara and a glass filled with sparkling water for himself.

They spend the next few minutes catching up, Murasakibara complaining about the people he encounters at work and Akashi filling Murasakibara up with the latest events at the company.

“Oh yeah, Aka-chin. There was this bothersome person I met yesterday.” Murasakibara starts.

“Is that so?”

“Mhmm. Kaga-chin suggested I get a tattoo, so I did. And this guy, Mido-chin, won’t let me get it if I don’t say anything, because Kaga-chin designed it for me.”

“Atsushi, this “Mido-chin” has a point. A tattoo is essentially a committment and should be treated with great care and consideration.”

“I know it’s permanent, Aka-chin. But I’m okay with Kaga-chin’s art, that should be enough.” he pouts.

A knock interrupts their conversation. Kuroko, Akashi’s head photographer, emerges from the door.

“Akashi-kun, the production designers are asking for a confirmation on the set.” he says.

“Of course. I’ll be there in a minute or two, Tetsuya.” Akashi responds. “I’m afraid we have to cut our conversation short here, Atsushi. If you’d like, we can meet up sometime this weekend?”

“Okay. I might have another appointment with Mido-chin, though.” Murasakibara replies.

The three of them leave the office and silently head towards the set together. Murasakibara stays a little bit longer to make sure his assistance with the arrangements isn’t need it. He looks around to let Akashi know he had to go but he catches him in a conversation with Furihata, one of the production designers. The smile plastered on Akashi’s face is a telltale sign that he shouldn’t interrupt, so Murasakibara leaves. On his way out, his shoulder bumps into someone.

“Ah, sorry!” the person says to him. “Kuroko-cchi!! I’m so sorry for being late!”

Murasakibara hears Kuroko’s faint reply. “Kise-kun, please don’t shout.”


	3. two weeks after

“Kaga-chin, don’t forget to check the saplings in the greenhouse.” Murasakibara reminds.

“You’ve told me this already, boss. I get it.” Kagami says.

“That’s what Kaga-chin said last time.”

Kagami sighs. “The petunia incident was just one time. I swear.” Murasakibara whines at the statement.

“Murasakibara, I promise it will be fine. I’ll give Aomine a call if I need help with anything.” And with that, Kagami pushes the florist out of the door. “Be sure to let me know when you’re done!” He adds.

Murasakibara gives him a thumbs up before walking away. He and Midorima had met up two weeks prior to finalize the design. Murasakibara managed to convince the artist that the original draft was something he wanted, explaining that Kagami personally designed it for him to get tattooed. Midorima insisted that he add a little personal touch, so Murasakibara decided to color the crown and leaves gold and green respectively.

Murasakibara also decided to have the tattoo somewhere on his legs. After a little bit of tweaking, the tattoo was to be placed on the upper side of his thigh. To be more specific, it started on the butt and flowed down the side of the thigh. They had scheduled an appointment two weeks after, which was today.

As per Midorima’s instructions, Murasakibara had avoided alcohol and caffeine for 48 hours before the tattoo session. Fortunately, the tattoo didn’t require multiple sessions. The lack of caffeine, however, was making him extra grumpy. Murasakibara wasn’t a fan of bitter things, but heavily sugared coffee was an exception.

He arrives five minutes early, so Riko sits him down on a couch. She leaves the desk as soon as he gets comfortable, assumedly to let Midorima know he had arrived. Murasakibara passes the time by playing Candy Crush on his phone. He’s crushed about 5 levels when he’s called into the tattoo room.

He meets Midorima halfway and the artist leads him to an empty room for privacy, as per Murasakibara’s request. He settles himself onto the chair as Midorima does a rundown of his equipment. Murasakibara pulls down his basketball shorts so that the skin can be wiped clean.

The first few minutes of the session is awkward, to say the least. The needle is much more painful than Murasakibara thought it would be, so he has to put a little bit of effort into keeping still and quiet. Midorima seems to pick up on his struggle because he speaks up.

“Will a conversation put your mind at ease?” he asks.

“Dunno. Maybe?” Murasakibara responds.

“Okay.”

The room is once again filled with silence. Murasakibara thinks his unsure response warded the artist off, but Midorima speaks again.

“A person came in a few days ago, wanted something feminine on them, saw the camellia on my station and decided on flowers.” He starts. “So, being a flower expert, do you have any flower recommendations?”

It does not take long for them both to fall into a nice, easy-flowing conversation. Murasakibara suggests orchids and lilies and offers to give Midorima samples for reference. In return, Midorima shows him a few of his tattoos: a pair of dice near his wrist, the archer on his forearm, and the plate of armor expanding from his right chest to his right shoulder.

Not much words are muttered after that. The tattoo takes about three hours to complete. Midorima hands him a pamphlet on aftercare as he escorts Murasakibara back to the storefront. Murasakibara gives the tattoo artist a curt nod before walking out the door.


	4. months after

Things between them over the past few months have changed. Midorima had visited the flower shop a few times since the tattoo session. The first visit he did was to take the florist on his offer for references. Other times, Midorima bought a singular flower to decorate his workspace. “ _My clients love it,”_ he says. Murasakibara never failed to explain the meaning intended of the flowers he bought. He even gave Midorima a few suggestions and arrangement ideas every now and then.

Their friendship began to bloom on a rainy day on his way home from work. Midorima had recklessly left his umbrella back at home and decided to wait the rain out in the flower shop. Murasakibara had plans to close the shop down since it was raining, so he invited Midorima to his place upstairs.

The rain seemed like it would last for a while, so the florist had suggested watching a movie. They couldn’t decide on what movie to watch so they went channel surfing in hopes that a movie they both liked was on. They ended up binging a whole season of _Chopped_ , or at least they tried tried to. A few episodes was enough to knock Murasakibara out like a light. Midorima followed soon after.

Both had woken up at the crack of dawn, with Midorima apologizing for imposing. Midorima’s phone were filled with numerous texts from Kise, wondering where he was. Midorima sent his roommate a quick text to let him know he was safe and alright. Declining the homeowner’s offer for breakfast, Midorima rushed out the door.

Since then, it became an unspoken tradition to stay over and watch television when one needed company. Murasakibara usually invited himself over when he and Kagami fought and Midorima visited the flower shop on bad work days.

They talk about a lot of things during the visits. Midorima learned that Murasakibara was from Akita and moved to Tokyo for university. He also played varsity basketball in middle school days and played casually during high school.

Murasakibara also had an affinity for cooking, sometimes making dinner for them (Kise included) when he came over. Overtime, Kise learned that Murasakibara was excellent at baking. This resulted in Murasakibara occasionally being invited over by Kise to try out some treats.

**** ****

///

Midorima unlocks the door to the apartment, having spent the afternoon with Murasakibara at the new okonomiyaki place that opened downtown.

“Midorima-cchi??” Kise calls out. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

Midorima hears the sound of rushed footsteps as he takes off his shoes and places them on the rack. He looks up to see Kise waiting expectantly.

“So, how’s the date?” he smiles.

“How many times do I have to tell you that it’s not a date?” Midorima denies.

“You and Murasaki-cchi have lunch like almost every week. He also comes over uninvited and you visit his place every now and then. What is that if not dating?”

“First of all, I’m not the sole reason he stops by. You two are friends, you know? Second, don’t you also see that photographer of yours on a frequent basis?”

"That’s way different. Kuroko-cchi and I are co-workers, so it just happens we see each other a lot.” Kise points two fingers at him. “You two, on the other hand, plans these lunches out. Don’t try to even fight me on that, I’ve seen your phone.”

“Okay, fine. Let’s say it was a date, we aren’t dating.” Midorima refutes.

“But you aaaaaaare. Kise whines. “Both of you just haven’t talked about it.” Midorima picks up on the tone of mischief in Kise’s voice.

“Kise, you will not meddle.” He warns. “I swear to the gods, Kise. If you meddle, I will not hesitate kick you out. Rot in the streets, see if I care.”

“Aah! Midorima-cchi is so mean.” Kise cries out. “I promise I won’t try anything. Only if you answer one question.”

“I have a feeling I know what the question is, but go on.”

“Perfect.” Kise rushes towards him and takes his hands in his. “Do you like Murasaki-cchi?”

Midorima pulls his hands back in panic. “What?! That’s absurd!” He starts to walk away to his room but Kise manages to keep up and blocks his path.

“Come on, Midorima-cchi, that isn’t an answer.” Kise refutes. “Are your red cheeks a yes or a no? I can never tell with you.”

Midorima sighs, knowing once Kise is persistent there’s no use stopping him. “I don’t know.”

“Huh? That’s a lame answer.” Kise pouts.

“Well, that’s what you get.”

“How can you not know? It supposed to be a fairly easy question to answer.”

“Look, I just… never thought about it before, okay?” Midorima relents. Kise visibly deflates. “Are we done? I’d like to go change out of my clothes.”

“Can you at least promise me to let me know once you know?” Kise begs.

“Sure, whatever.” And with that, Midorima leaves Kise in the hallway and heads to his room.

///

Murasakibara flips the store sign from _open_ to _closed._ Normally, he closes the shops on weekends. But with the holidays fastly approaching, he decided to keep the store open on limited hours for potential last-minute buyers.

Kagami’s bringing in the last box of potting soil when he speaks up. “So you and this Midorima dude… you together or what?”

“Ha?“

“I’m just asking. You two are together a lot so I wondered.”

. “Mido-chin and I aren’t dating.” Murasakibara replies. “Kaga-chin should mind his own business.”

“I’m not trying to pry.” Kagami reassures him. “Like I said, I was curious so I asked.”

“Mhmm.”

“But do you like him?”

“Kaga-chin…” Murasakibara starts.

“I’m sorry, boss. I really just want to know.”

Murasakibara stares at Kagami, judging for himself the intentions of Kagami’s questioning. Seeing no trace of malice on his employee’s face, he sighs.

“I don’t know.”

“Oh.” Kagami replies. “Do you want to know though?”

Murasakibara gives his question a lot of thought. Did he really want to know the extent of his feelings for his green-haired friend, if they existed?

_It has been a few months since Murasakibara and Midorima have started hanging out. As much as Murasakibara wants to deny it, the tattoo artist has been a good anchor in his life. The florist can count on one hand he can consider friends, and Murasakibara doesn’t really keep in touch with most of them._

_Himuro is undeniably one of Murasakibara’s dearest friends. They both met on their first day of high school. With Murasakibara new to the school and Himuro an American returnee, the two had stuck to each other like glue, owing to the fact that they knew no one else. To add salt to the wound, every one in school was somewhat afraid of him because of his height and intimdating personality, as Muro-chin put it._

_Muro-chin was his support system, and Murasakibara was Himuro’s. Himuro was someone Murasakibara felt like himself with and he remembers Himuro admits to him that he was like a brother to him. (Muro-chin tells him that day about the falling out he had with a brother just before he moved to Japan.)_

_Their proximity in the dormitories was an important foundation in their friendship. Being a room or two away made things so much easier for them both. Things changed when they both started university. Murasakibara had his own things to deal with, and Himuro had his. Muro-chin tried to keep in touch, messaging Murasakibara quite often about anything. But Murasakibara’s dependency on distance led to their loss of contact over the next few months. Nowadays, they can be found interacting through comments and likes on social media. In a way, they’re still updated on each other’s lives, but it obviously isn’t the same._

_Akashi is probably the only friend Murasakibara has had in college. Both of them had joined orchestra in their freshman year and were placed in the same group. Spending a lot of time together because of music practice led to conversations and promises of coffee. By the time their third year of university rolled around, they were practically inseparable._

_Their difference in majors did not put a hamper on their friendship. Studying sessions (initiated by Akashi, of course) were a calm, relaxing event. Since they did not have any subjects in common (Akashi was a business administration major), they did their own thing and only consulted each other when it came to papers. And their careers after graduating aligned enough that they still saw each other on occasion._

_What solidified their bond was three-ish years into their jobs. Akashi’s business was just starting to get off the ground and Murasakibara was recently promoted to sous chef at his job. While Murasakibara was thankful for the opportunity, he didn’t like how chaotic and hectic his position was. He approached Akashi at an event he was hosting, asking him to meet up sometime._

_They met at a restaurant two weeks later. Murasakibara opened up to Akashi about his problems at work and how he had been heavily considering quitting. Akashi was understanding of his situation and questioned him all throughout the meal. At the end of it, Akashi handed him his business card, just in case he needed the businessman’s help._

_After careful consideration, Murasakibara decided to open his own business. He liked working for others, but wanted to have independence on full control. Wanting to stay close to the world of event planning, he chose to open a flower shop. He and Aka-chin spent months planning everything out, from the legal documents needed to the logistics of handling the flower shop._

_Murasakibara opened the flower shop almost a year after he quit. Every now and then, Akashi stops by to see how the business is doing. Since Akashi also utilizes the flower shop when he needs flora, both of them also keep each other updated through texts. On the rare occurrence that their schedules match up, they plan trips outside the city to get away._

_Does Mido-chin hold a candle to both of them?_ _Murasakibara did not know._

“Why not?” he ends up replying. Kagami nods in response.

“Can we finish these up first?” Murasakibara gestures to the stuff around them. “Kaga-chin can question me after.”

“Sure.”

///

Murasakibara lounges on the couch while he waits for Kagami to finish locking up the store. He ponders more about Kagami’s question, trying to admit to himself whether he had any feelings towards his friend.

_Murasakibara waits for Kagami to pick him up by the parlour’s store front. He knows he could probably walk himself to the store, but he’s feeling very lazy. Kagami arrives not long after in his car, and questions him about the experience on the way back. Murasakibara entertains his fellow florist with a few answers, but mostly just gives a hum or a click of a tongue as a response._

_Two days after, the door chimes open and Murasakibara sees Midorima walk inside the store._

_“Hi.” The customer greets._

_“Hey.” Murasakibara greets back._

_“I’m…” Midorima trails off. “I’m here to take you up on your offer. You know, about the reference flowers.”_

_Murasakibara wordlessly gets up from his chair on the counter and walks towards their display of orchids and lilies_ _Just like before, Midorima silently takes his time picking a specific flower, occasionally speaking up to ask Murasakibara questions about plant care and their life spans. Twenty minutes later, the tattoo artist walks out with two small arrangements._

_Midorima shows up again a week later to thank him for last week’s flowers. Apparently, the client loved the flowers and the arrangement he based the art from. He doesn’t stay long but admits to Murasakibara that drawing flora is peaceful and refreshing for him artwise before leaving. From then on, Midorima visits once a month for an arrangement specifically made for him. The artist also stopped by when he was let out of his shift early to kill some time. The first time he brough him upstairs was on a rainy day, and that didn’t end particularly bad. (It was embarrassing for the host to sleep on the guest, though.)_

_It became an understood agreement that each other’s residence were safe spaces when they needed to get away. Murasakibara likes Midorima’s apartment with Kise because he felt very much at peace when he came over. The homely vibe of the space showed with pictures (mostly of Kise) were on every wall, notes and timetables littered the cabinets. Overall, one can tell it was lived in at a glance. Compared to it, his place seemed empty and lonely._

_Seeing Midorima at least once a week also became a norm between them. Since Murasakibara mostly went out of the shop for work, Midorima is the one who approaches. But occasionally, Murasakibara picks Midorima up from the tattoo parlor so that they can have lunch. He’s also the one who picks out the places to eat, which Midorima doesn’t have a problem with._

_Looking at it now, Midorima has become such an important part of his daily routine. Did this mean he liked him more than a friend? Murasakibara thinks he’s spent almost the same amount of time with Muro-chin, and look how that turned out._

He loses his train of thought once he realizes Kagami is waving his hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention.

“You okay there? You seemed lost in thought.” Kagami asks him. 

Trying to gather his senses, he nods in response.

Murasakibara spends the next two hours talking about everything _Mido-chin_ to Kagami, which mainly consists of Kagami asking his employer questions and giving anecdotes of his own experiences. When they’ve run out of things to talk about, Kagami excuses himself out, muttering a “good luck” as he leaves.

The florist closes the door behind Kagami. While cleaning up the place, Murasakibara comes to a conclusion.

_Mido-chin, I think I like you._


	5. the confession

_ 09: 48 A.M. _

**_ Atsushi M.:  _ ** _ midochin?  _

**_ Atsushi M:  _ ** _ are you busy next week?  _

__

_ 09:49 A.M. _

**_ Midorima Shintarou:  _ ** _ I have to check but so far, I should be free.  _

**_ Midorima Shintarou:  _ ** _ Why did you ask?  _

__

_ 09: 52 A.M _

**_ Atsushi M.:  _ ** _ akachin has this event thing _

**_ Atsushi M.:  _ ** _ and im kinda one of the organizers of the event because of the shop _

**_ Atsushi M.:  _ ** _ so akachin says i have a plus one _

__

_ 09: 56 A.M: _

**_ Midorima Shintarou:  _ ** _ Shouldn’t Kagami be your plus one since he’s your employee? _

__

_ 10: 13 A.M:  _

**_ Atsushi M.:  _ ** _ kaga-chin just stays in the store _

**_ Atsushi M.: _ ** _ doesn’t like going to fancy parties _

__

_ 10: 15 A.M _

**_ Midorima Shintarou:  _ ** _ Ah, I see.  _

**_ Midorima Shintarou:  _ ** _ I’d be honored to be your plus one then, Atsushi. _

**_ Midorima Shintarou:  _ ** _ Is there a dress code? _

__

_ 10: 29 A.M _

**_ Atsushi M.:  _ ** _ oh yeah _

**_ Atsushi M.:  _ ** _ akashi_annual_fundraiser.pdf  _

**_ Atsushi M.:  _ ** _ here you go _

__

_ 10: 33 A.M _

**_ Midorima Shintarou:  _ ** _ Thanks.  _

**_ Midorima Shintarou: _ ** _ Talk to you about going there a day before? _

__

_ 10: 45 A.M _

**_ Atsushi M.:  _ ** _ okay _

__

///

It’s the day of the annual fundraiser and Midorima’s feeling very nervous. 

He isn’t a stranger to formal events by any means, but it’s been quite a while since he’s attended one. It doesn’t help that he has tattoos on various parts of his body. Midorima brought this up to Murasakibara the day before and the florist assured him that it will be alright. 

Speaking of the florist, a knock emanates from Midorima’s apartment door. He swings the door open to find Murasakibara outside waiting for him.

Midorima’s chosen a white dress shirt tucked into black slacks. He folds up his sleeves a little bit before donning on a green-striped coat. He’s also decided on white dress shoes to match the white belt he’s worn. Murasakibara, on the other hand, is wearing a brown button down that’s paired with striped blue slacks. He’s also put on a white coat that fades into purple and brown loafers. 

“Ready to go?” Murasakibara asks. Midorima nods in agreement. 

The car ride to the event is silent except for the music playing off the radio. Once Murasakibara pulls into the hotel, both passengers step out of the car and walk side-by-side towards the event hall. Murasakibara hand over an envelope to the staff waiting by the door before they’re permitted to enter. Upon stepping inside, Midorima is mesmerized. Standing tables are scattered across the hall, each table decorated with a vase of flowers. Ushers can be seen around the room carrying trays full of appetizers and champagne glasses. On the far-left corner is a jazz band filling the hall with snazzy tunes. 

“Woah. I understand Kagami’s sentiments now.” He exclaims. 

“It’s not that bad once you get used to it.” Murasakibara explains. He leans over to whisper. “If Mido-chin’s uncomfortable, there’s a balcony we can use. There’s only a few people there, usually.” 

“Thank you.” 

Murasakibara talks to various attendees that Midorima doesn’t recognize throughout the whole event. Not knowing where to go and what to do, Midorima stays by Murasakibara’s side. He occasionally contributes to the conversation, but for the most part, he stays silent. The only break the artist really gets is when Akashi, or some other important person, gets the attention of the crowd and gives a few words of thanks and recognition. 

A few drinks in and Midorima is filled with anxiety and nervousness. The fancy, grandiose atmosphere of the party is too much for the artist. He silently tugs at Murasakibara’s sleeve, in the hopes that the florist will get the hint, and walks away towards the balcony door. 

The fresh, cold air greets Midorima as soon as he steps out, and the artist couldn’t be any more glader. The sounds of music and chatter fade into the background as Midorima admires the skyline view from his position. Murasakibara takes his place beside him a few seconds later. The both of them just observe the city in silence for a while.

“Mido-chin?” the florist asks. 

“Yeah?” Midorima replies, looking over to side Murasakibara staring out at the distance. 

“Did you enjoy yourself tonight?” 

“I did.” Even though Murasakibara can’t see him, Midorima smiles.

“That’s good.”

Midorima hears a voice (Midorima assumes it’s Akashi) get the crowds attention. He hears the words “celebration”, “wrap up”, and “fireworks.” When Murasakibara speaks again.

“Mido-chin?”

“Atsushi?” 

“Thank you for coming tonight.” 

“Of course. I’m glad I was able to come.” 

“Look over there, Mido-chin.” Midorima follows Murasakibara’s finger to see it directed at a bunch of staff assembling some pyrotechnics. “Hope Mido-chin isn’t scared of fireworks.” 

“If I can handle needles, I’m sure I can deal with fireworks.” He reassures Murasakibara. 

A minute later he hears the chants of the crowd inside counting down to zero. 

_ Three! _

Midorima takes a deep breath. 

_ Two!  _

Midorima looks to his side to find Murasakibara staring back at him. 

_ One! _

Midorima widens his eyes in shock as Murasakibara leans closer. 

_ Zero! _

Murasakibara closes the gap between them and crashes his lips unto his. 

Midorima remains glued in place, unmoving. Despite fireworks going off behind him, all he can hear is the ringing of his ears and the intense pounding of his heart. 

Murasakibara pulls away but keeps his face close to Midorima’s own. 

“I like you, Mido-chin.” Murasakibara confesses. “Kaga-chin said not to pressure you, so take all the time you need to think about it.”

Midorima is left speechless but doesn’t know what to say. He manages to whisper a silent okay and Murasakibara gives him a nod in acknowledgement. 

The car ride back to Midorima’s apartment is a silent one once again, the radio the only buffer between them. The artist tries to keep his nervousness at bay by fiddling with his hands. If Murasakibara notices, the florist doesn’t say a word. 

As soon as Murasakibara pulls over, Midorima immediately gets out of the car, wanting to get out of the tense atmosphere as fast as possible. He bends over to give the driver a goodbye. 

“Thank you, Atsushi. I mean it.” 

Midorima doesn’t give Murasakibara a chance to respond by closing the door and heading inside the apartment complex. Midorima knocks on the apartment door, feeling too weak to fumble for his keys. 

Kise opens the door to welcome him back but upon seeing the distressed look on his roommates face, immediately gives him a hug as he ushers Midorima inside. Kise doesn’t ask him any questions and sets Midorima on the couch and grabs a small pack of adzuki bean mochi for them to munch on. 

Nothing is spoken between them for a while, Midorima replaying the night’s events in his mind and Kise offering the artist company. Midorima breaks the silence with a broken whisper. 

“Atsushi kissed me. At the party.” Kise wraps his arms on his shoulders in reply. 

“And I don’t know how to feel about it.”Midorima continues. “It was unexpected, the confession I mean. I know he gave me time to think about it, but I feel like I should’ve given him a response right away.” 

“Midorima-cchi,,,” Kise starts. “Murasaki-cchi gave you time for a purpose. Use that time to think about it and decide whether you accept his confession or not.” 

“Yes, I know.” Midorima replies, munching on his red bean mochi.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Kise offers. “It’ll help.”

“Okay.” Midorima agrees. 

Midorima spends a good portion recounting the events of that night. Upon Kise’s insistence, he elaborates on what Murasakibara means to him. It takes him a bit of time and tears to get his feelings sorted out, but eventually he does. 

“You’ve made up your mind, Midorima-cchi?” 

“Yeah. Thank you, Kise.” 

“Anytime, roomie.” 

Kise leaves Midorima alone to think some more and walks away from the living room. Midorima uses that time alone to observe the night sky, letting the noise of the streets outside dull his mind. Eventually, he picks up his phone and opens his contacts, leaving a short but meaning message to the first on the list. 

_ 01:43 A.M _

**_ Midorima Shintarou: _ ** _ Yes.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didn't manage to put these in the fic so have some tidbits?? fun facts??: 
> 
> 1) tattoo artist midorima has a bunch of important lucky items tattooed on his hip. that means some time in the future, he gets a camellia tattooed.
> 
> 2) midorima was a biochemistry major in university before stopping and murasakibara was a physics major turned culinary degree
> 
> thanks for reading!


End file.
